5

The Harrow Inn food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Maidstone

The Harrow Inn holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 8 May 2025, 14 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.

Address: The Harrow, Lidsing Road, Lidsing, ME7 3NL

How it compares in Maidstone

That puts The Harrow Inn among the 1,136 places in Maidstone holding top marks, 82% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.

Every rated food business in Maidstone
5 out of 5 1,136 82% ← The Harrow Inn
4 out of 5 165 12%
3 out of 5 61 4%
2 out of 5 11 1%
1 out of 5 12 1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 65 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At The Harrow Inn none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.

Food hygiene ratings nearby

The closest food businesses to The Harrow Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Chartwells At Bredhurst CE Primary School School/college/university 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 27 January 2025
Forky Porkys Mobile caterer 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 24 September 2025
Elm Court Garden Centre Restaurant Other catering premises 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 9 April 2026
Cellar Supplies Retailers - other 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 9 April 2026
Burger King Other catering premises 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 24 August 2024
Bella Italia Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 6 June 2025
Bobatime Retailers - other 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 24 September 2025
Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 6 August 2025

Questions about The Harrow Inn

What is The Harrow Inn's food hygiene rating?

The Harrow Inn has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Maidstone Council on 8 May 2025.

Is The Harrow Inn safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Harrow Inn last inspected?

The Harrow Inn was last inspected on 8 May 2025, 14 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Maidstone Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Harrow Inn?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Harrow Inn compare to other places in Maidstone?

82% of the 1,387 rated food businesses in Maidstone hold the top rating of 5, and The Harrow Inn is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Maidstone Council inspects The Harrow Inn and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.

Tell me when this changes

The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch The Harrow Inn and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →

Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Maidstone inspects and rates 1,452 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Maidstone

The official record is held by the council: http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/

Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →